His Eminence the Most Reverend Anthony (Bashir), Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America, was the ruling bishop of the North American archdiocese of the Church of Antioch from 1936 to 1966. (His first name is also sometimes spelled Antony.) He successfully led the splintered members associated with the Church of Antioch into an efficient, tightly-knit, and financially sound organization. He recognized early the need to introduce English in the American milieu and accept converts into the Church including ordaining many to the priesthood.

Life

Anthony Bashir was born on March 15, 1898, in Douma, Lebanon, to Joseph and Zaina Bashir. He initially studied at the Balamand Orthodox Theological Seminary in Tripoli, Lebanon, from 1911 to 1916, then continued his education at the the Law School of Baabda, Lebanon, and at the American University of Beirut where he later taught Arabic literature. He was ordained a deacon on April 16, 1916, and actively worked for the Church in Lebanon. In 1922 the Patriarch of Antioch sent him to the United States where for the next 13 years he was active organizing societies, building churches, and serving Syrian (Arab) parishes of the "unchurched Syrians in America." In 1923, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

On April 19, 1934, Metr. Victor (Abo-Assaley) of New York died. He had been appointed head of the North American archdiocese of the Church of Antioch on September 11, 1924, by the Patriarch of Antioch. Thus, Archimandrite Anthony was to administer those parishes that had been loyal to Victor until a successor would be named. After 1934, he provided much needed leadership to the dis-associated Syrian communities. His actions were recognized when he was consecratedarchbishop in the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch. He was consecrated at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York, by MetropolitanTheodosius of Tyre and Sidon and the ROCOR Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko) of Jersey City on April 19, 1936. In the ensuing years Abp. Anthony brought organization and unity to the Antiochian community and pursued reconciliation of the division in the Syrian community created when Samuel (David) was also consecrated as the Syrian Archbishop of Toledo, Ohio.